Entertainment in Amsterdam
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Kingfisher
Kingfisher’s casual brand of cool and laid-back bar staff ensure it’s always busy. It’s a lot of locals’ ‘local’, and as it’s on one of the main streets through De Pijp, it offers great people-watching both inside and out (creative bicyclists are just the start).
reviewed
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Kadinsky
On the surface this could be an actual coffee shop - there’s no trace of hippy grunge, just sleek minimalist furniture, cool electronica in the background, and good java and hot chocolate. Three levels offer various cosy nooks. Two much smaller branches are at Langebrugsteeg 7a and Zoutsteeg 14.
reviewed
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Proeflokaal de Ooievaar
Not much bigger than a vat of jenever, this magnificent little tasting house has been going since 1782. On offer are spirits of the De Ooievaar distillery, still located in the Jordaan. The house was built leaning over and has not subsided, as many people wrongly assume even before a shot of Old Dutch.
reviewed
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Pilsener Club
Also known as Engelse Reet (English Arse), this brown cafe from 1893 is typical of the holes-in-the-wall around the Spui. Beer is served straight from the kegs via the ‘shortest pipes in Amsterdam’ (most places have vats in a cellar or side room with long hoses to the bar) – see if you can taste the difference.
reviewed
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Dutch Flowers
Were it not for this shop’s main wares, you’d be hard pressed to distinguish it from a brown cafe, with the game on TV and a lovely view of the Singel. It all means that you needn’t slum it with the college kids or feel as if you’ve gone to Jamaica or India in order to enjoy a toke.
reviewed
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Tweede Kamer
The original location of the Dampkring chain of coffeeshops feels more like a brown cafe than a coffeeshop, but don’t let that fool you. Space may be tight, but the selection is vast (this chain is known for its detailed, informative menus). The Sativa is highly recommended for a special happy high.
reviewed
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G-Spot
Next door to De Pieper, this contemporary minimalist bar-restaurant, with its bright light-filled interior, couldn’t be more different from its brown-cafe neighbour, but it’s equally as appealing. While the interior is stylish, the canalside terrace with pretty views will keep you outside.
reviewed
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Finch
This funkalicious bar with its retro decor (deliberately mismatched yet somehow harmonious) is just the spot to hang out and knock back a few beers after a visit to the market. It’s known for an arty-designy clientele and is always packed on the weekends. The owners also operate Wolvenstraat 23.
reviewed
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Greenhouse
Nope, the pot hasn’t gone to your head (yet) – that stretch of the floor is glass and there really are koi swimming underfoot in this modern lounge-cum-coffeeshop. Once you tire of the fish action, peer into the microscope to see THC crystals or contemplate one of the pies spinning in the display case.
reviewed
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De Blauwe Parade
The building, now the Hotel Die Poort van Cleve, was the site of the original Heineken brewery, so it seems an appropriate place for tastings (of jenevers though, not beers). While there, feast your eyes on the Delft-blue tile mural (1870s) of a parade of children bearing gifts to an emperor.
reviewed
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De Kroon
A popular venue for media events and movie-premiere parties, with high ceilings, velvet chairs, and the chance to wave at the Little People below on Rembrandtplein. There is a lift to get up the two storeys, but climb the two flights instead and you’ll be rewarded with an art deco tiled staircase.
reviewed
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Café ’t Leeuwtje
‘The Little Lion’ stands out from the rest of the venues on this street – snazzy it ain’t, the music doesn’t thump loudly and the interior feels a bit like a brown cafe. A fairly extensive beer selection makes it a prime place to chat or chill with a newspaper.
reviewed
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Conservatorium Van Amsterdam
Catch a delightful classical recital by students at the Netherlands’ largest conservatory of music in a snazzy new building with state-of-the-art acoustics. The entire structure is built in the Japanese ‘Engawa model’ (think endless glass walls and light-flooded interiors).
reviewed
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De Trut
Just west of the Jordaan, this Sunday-night club is a lesbian institution held in the basement of a former squat. Its name means ‘the tart’ and it comes with an attitude; arrive well before 11pm (the space only fits 220 people), and know that heteros are definitely not welcome.
reviewed
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Café Nol
The epitome of the old-style Jordaan cafe, this kitschy red-vinyl place is where the original Jordaanese (ie before students, artists and professionals moved in) would sing oompah ballads with drunken abandon. They still do, but nowadays everyone from athletic types to drag queens joins in.
reviewed
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Oosterling
Opened in the 1700s as a tea and coffee outlet for the Dutch East India Company, Oosterling is as authentic as it gets – run by the same family since 1877. These days it’s packed with the after-work-drinks crowd and is one of the very few cafes that has a bottle-shop (liquor-store) permit.
reviewed
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Abraxas
The Abraxas management knows what stoners want: mellow music, comfy sofas, rooms with different energy levels and thick milkshakes. The considerate staff and laid-back clientele make this a great place for coffee-shop newbies, who can get stoned and send strange emails from the computers.
reviewed
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De Admiraal
The grandest and largest of Amsterdam’s tasting houses, De Admiraal is also a restaurant and party venue. Although some grumble that they pour only their own house brands (16 jenevers and 60 liqueurs), it’s hard to quibble over the lovely setting and pleasant staff.
reviewed
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Baba
Not the cheapest weed in town, but it packs a punch and is sure to get you walloped to another plane. Pick up a bag of Silver Haze, plant yourself at the front window and watch the colourful types all run together along Warmoesstraat. The hash brownies have mother’s special touch.
reviewed
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NEL
The new owners of NEL (formerly called Janvier) have spruced up the inside with a mellow brasserie on one side and a stylish bar on the other, but on a sunny afternoon there’s nothing better than to sit under the shady canopy of trees and lazily contemplate the quiet surrounding square.
reviewed
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Latei
Don’t worry, the cool staff at this tiny cafe won’t sell the Formica-top table out from under you - though it, and every other piece of mod decor here, is for sale. A steady stream of neighbourhood residents pops in for koffie verkeerd (milky coffee) .
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Café de Vergulde Gaper
Decorated with old chemists’ bottles and vintage posters, this former pharmacy has amiable staff and a terrace that catches the sun. It gets busy late in the afternoon, with all kinds of people meeting for after-work drinks and big plates of fried snacks or salads for dinner.
reviewed
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De Buurvrouw
This grungy late-night bar is where you inevitably end up when there’s nowhere else to go. Take it easy because someone’s watching: above the entrance is a painting of de Buurvrouw (the woman next door). And yes, everyone is probably as drunk as you.
reviewed
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Rokerij
Behind this black hole of an entrance you’ll find Asian decor and candlelight for those tired of the Rastafarian vibe. Staff at this flagship branch have a reputation for friendliness, explaining why outlets have shot up like weed(s), but this is the cosiest location by far.
reviewed
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Kapitein Zeppo’s
This site, off Grimburgwal, has assumed many guises over the centuries: a cloister during the 15th, a horse-carriage storehouse in the 17th and a cigar factory in the 19th. These days it’s festive, attractive and almost romantic, with a beautiful garden and Belgian brews.
reviewed